The Kicker

This week on a special edition of The Kicker, CJR and the BBC World Service have teamed up to produce an audio documentary. Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope narrates an exploration of two issues vital for journalism in America: How should the media respond to an administration that labels it “the enemy of the people,” and, perhaps more importantly, how can the media build trust with a public that sees it as hopelessly biased?

CJR’s David Uberti, Christie Chisholm, Pete Vernon, and Shelley Hepworth discuss some criticism we received for inviting Breitbart economics editor John Carney to our conference on covering Trump. Did he bring a valuable perspective? Or did we play a role in legitimizing a website that has trafficked in racism, misogyny, and white nationalism? Then, we turn to Hollywood, where a new movie about the Pentagon Papers—directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks—has just been announced. We talk about the depiction of women journalists on screen, as well as the checkered history of movies about the media industry.

CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss a wild week in White House-media relations. Then, we turn to MisinfoCon, a weekend gathering of journalists and technologists trying to solve the fake news problem. Freelance writer Lyz Lenz calls in to chat about the Texas Monthly and its legendary writer, Pamela Colloff.

Dave and Pete discuss why it matters that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer allows friendly outlets to ask questions at press briefings. CJR correspondent Corey Hutchins calls in to discuss fake news at the local level. And freelance journalist Jenni Monet, who was arrested while reporting at Standing Rock, joins to discuss coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Thanks for kicking it with us as we worked through technical difficulties this week. Like Sean Spicer, we're learning on the job.

Why are so many news organizations expanding into Australia? What is the state of health journalism as Obamacare hangs in the balance? Why were so many journalists talking about CNN anchor Jake Tapper's interview with Kellyanne Conway? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where David Uberti is joined by CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope, health correspondent Trudy Lieberman, and Delacorte Fellows Pete Vernon and Shelley Hepworth.

How has Breitbart used memes to build a huge audience on Facebook? Should journalists' notion of objectivity change in the face of immoral or un-American acts? What aspects of press freedom may change under the Trump Administration?We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner and Pete Vernon. Special guest Jonathan Peters, a media law professor and correspondent for CJR's United States Project, gives us the scoop on press freedom under Trump.

Is the Trump Administration trying to bait aggressive reporters when it offers up "alternative facts"? What does a recent New York Times report tell us about the way its business model and editorial strategy are changing? How should journalists respond to charges of a liberal media conspiracy?We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Nausicaa Renner, Pete Vernon, and Christie Chisholm.

Did BuzzFeed make the right call by publishing unverified memos detailing Russian efforts to compromise Donald Trump? How is The Undefeated, a new publication by ESPN, tackling this moment in race and politics? What did Trump's first press conference as president-elect tell us about how he'll treat the media going forward? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti is joined by Pete Vernon, Carlett Spike, and Vanessa Gezari.

What does Fox News' primetime lineup say about its direction under the Trump Administration? Why should we care about the fate of the publishing platform Medium? What's the deal with all these misreported stories about Russia? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon discuss the week in journalism.

What media trends from 2016 were the most alarming? The most encouraging? We discuss that and more this week on The Kicker, where CJR's David Uberti, Nausicaa Renner, and Pete Vernon break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from a tumultuous year in journalism.